Innocence In Black And Orange
by Taiora Yaganouchi
Summary: **ANNOUNCEMENT!!** Please go to chapter 11 for a special announcement pertaining to this story!!!!
1. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 1

Innocence in Black and Orange  
  
By Taiora Yaganouchi  
  
  
  
Yes, yes, yes. insanity. for the love of Mobius! THIS is what I blow all my time on. a fic that no one will read because they probably won't understand it. Yes, I see it now. flames ablaze in poroi no mori and my mailbox!! This is a Slash or shounen ai warning. I don't know what to expect for this. Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters and indicia are trademarks of SEGA. I don't own and have never played Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and thus have no idea of the storyline. If anyone knows where to get ISOs of the original Sonic Adventure or would like to tell me how to make my work better, please E-mail me at Jvangyzen@Yahoo.com and I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can. I also draw, so if you have any requests ask me that too! (By the way, those red things on Shadow's eyes are like ears right? My sister Pixie INSISTS that it is eye shadow!) And now, our story starts out on a dark and star filled sky.  
  
The night was moonless being the beginning of the new moon but the stars lit the black figure's trail as he sped through the forest. There was a loud noise and an explosion suddenly filling the sky with flames. Fire swept through the forest and the figure went faster, not wanting to get caught up in the blaze. He was just about out of the fire when a small voice rang into his ears.  
  
"Help! Please someone! Help!" The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened as he tensed up. It wasn't right to leave now. Someone was in trouble. It went against his nature to try to help, but it also went against his nature to let a helpless creature to die. So he spun around and ran back into the flaming foliage.  
  
****  
  
A pair of crystal blue eyes opened in a small hut's bedroom. 'My house. but how?' The young male got up and looked around. It was a rough night, last night. 'Last thing I remember was that explosion and then I got caught by something on my way out of Poroi no Mori.' He examined his singed fur.  
  
"Gee, I'm so lucky that I got out of there but who in the world saved my life? And the only part of me that hurts is my tails." He examined those too. There was a mix of ash and blood caked on to his tails. 'So that is where I got caught.' With all the excitement, he didn't have time to feel pain, just the numbing and venomous fear he felt. This had even let on some tears to be let loose from his eyes.  
  
Miles "Tails" Prower headed to his back door. There was a pond in the back of his house and he looked at his singed fur once more before sitting down and un-buckling his shoes and slipping his socks off his feet. As he plunged into the cold pond water, his mind wandered to last night.  
  
'I had been chasing my friends and having a fun time playing. That's when Flicky found a large black and round thing on the ground. Being an engineer, I went over to investigate when I saw it had a lit fuse I called to my friends and told them to get out of the forest. I began to run after them when the bomb exploded. I went flying from the blast and landed on my feet. So I ran being quite scared of the loud noise. this is where it gets blurry. I remember getting caught and yelling for help. I saw a figure coming towards me. I must have inhaled too much smoke and passed out but who saved me?'  
  
He hadn't been aware of his surroundings as he thought. He was near the middle of the pond. Tails laughed when he realized this and decided to go under the water to see what he could find. Seeing nothing of interest except a few fish maybe and a bunch of sand and underwater plants, he was ready to push up to the surface.  
  
He couldn't have been a meter and a half off the bottom when something grabbed his foot. He realized that he didn't have much air left and spun his tails to get away. But what ever had him wasn't letting go. He frantically tried to swim and flailed his arms, splashing water near the top. He heard another splash from nearby and looked towards the sound. He saw a dark figure enter the water as he let all his air loose. He was either going to drown or worse. He felt a pair of hands work at his foot as he drifted off into unconsciousness once more.  
  
"Pr. pre. .ss b." was the sounds that Tails could hear through the water in his ears. He felt pressure being applied to his abdomen and then something warm on his lips as breath flowed into his overfilled lungs. Slowly, he began to cough up water. When he was done, he opened his heavy lids and his eyes met with bright crimson colored ones filled with a tinge of worry. Tails' eyes widened and he began to blush. Suddenly the crimson eyes snapped and Tails felt a pressure on the back of his neck. He went unconscious for the second time that day.  
  
Tails woke up again and he found that it was about four in the afternoon. That means that he was out for about an hour. He looked around. The person who saved him wasn't there. He was in his bed and completely dry, fur ruffled. The damp towel hanging on the open windowsill explained that. Tails blushed to think that someone had taken the time to dry him off.  
  
"Who was that?" Tails thought aloud. "I really owe that person big time. That's it! That must be the same person who saved me in Poroi no Mori! Wow," he said, "I have a guardian angel or something. How lucky I am that I do or I would be dead!" Tails grinned and blushed.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock at Tails' door. "Yes?" Tails asked as he opened the door. Standing there were his friends.  
  
"Tails! Tails its Flicky! He is in trouble! Hurry, follow us!" They ran off in the direction of what was left of Poroi no Mori. Tails heard smashing sounds followed by cries for help from his birdie friend. Tails decided to go and beat the bad creature doing this terrible thing. So he ran into the clearing and jumped on top of the egg shaped creature. It sweat-dropped and went to hit Tails off. Tails jumped from the creature's head and that the thing managed to do was put a dent in its chrome dome. Flicky took this opportunity to fly away. A large clang and popping noises emitted from the robotic creature. A screw landed at Tails' feet and the robot began to sway. Tails looked up at it and realized he had no rings on him at all and that he might not be able to get out of this one. He began to run as fast as he could but too late. The thing was almost on top of him when he was pushed out of harms way. Tails kept his eyes closed when he realized a very heavy weight on him. Fortunately for the young fox, it wasn't the robot. Tails opened his eyes and saw black fur on him.  
  
Tails immediately blushed at the fact that someone was on top of him in this kind of position. Never being in this kind of situation was one of the reasons he was uncomfortable. The others all mostly had to do with not being able to move. Although Tails had been training with his best friend, Sonic the Hedgehog, all his life, he was still far from being as strong as the ambitious hedgehog teen. And he was just fast enough to keep up with him if he pushed himself hard.  
  
"Hey. umm. wake up. please?" Tails asked the creature. He felt stirring and then a groan. The creature lifted up its head and looked down at little Tails. Tails gasped.  
  
"You're a. a hedgehog! Was it you? All those times?" Tails asked as the blushing hedgehog got off him. He offered Tails his hand. Tails took it and got up. "You saved me?"  
  
"Yes." the black hedgehog replied reluctantly.  
  
"Thanks! My name's Tails! What's yours?" Tails said happily.  
  
"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog." the teen said.  
  
"Oh. You're the one who." Tails eyes were wide. Shadow nodded. "Sonic told me all about you." Tails hung his head. "We all thought you died."  
  
"I survived, but just barely. I am still recovering. I'm not nearly as strong as before."  
  
"Oh? So now you have moved on to saving people instead?" Tails teased.  
  
"No. I felt bad for you." Shadow said.  
  
"You felt bad?" Tails asked. "About what?"  
  
"You are so accident-prone." Shadow smirked.  
  
"Hey! I'm NOT accident-prone! Listen, I think that someone is out to get me. That bomb definitely wasn't an accident and the pond wasn't an accident either. In fact, I don't get into accidents very often." Tails stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh? Is that so?" Shadow said. "Okay."  
  
"Hey Shadow? Can you come with me to Station Square? I need to find Sonic." Tails asked.  
  
"Sonic? Hmm. okay." Shadow looked down at Tails.  
  
"Umm. Shadow? If it isn't too much trouble. could you. be. my bodyguard?" Tails blushed and looked down.  
  
"Huh? Oh. why?" Shadow's eyed widened and he blushed a bit.  
  
"Because you already have been anyway." Tails looked up at Shadow. Shadow blushed and looked away.  
  
"Well, what's the fastest route to there from here?" Shadow asked Tails.  
  
"Through those trees and across the bridge." Tails told him. "And then you keep going straight to get to the city limits."  
  
"Alright. Lets go then." Shadow said, getting ready to take off. Tails twirled his tails together and let them fly him to a hover. Shadow had never seen anything like that before but they sped off anyway. 


	2. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2  
  
When Tails and Shadow arrived at Station Square it was already dark. Tails was utterly exhausted trying to keep up with the black hedgehog. Shadow had to slow down for Tails to keep up. But they made it to Station Square.  
  
"Shadow?" Tails landed and sat on a bench.  
  
"Yeah? What's up?" Shadow walked over to the little fox that was trying to catch his breath.  
  
Tails looked up at Shadow, "we have to find a place to stay for the night."  
  
"So it seems." Shadow said.  
  
"Where though?" Tails asked looking at his feet. He began tapping them together as he thought. There was only silence between the fox and the hedgehog.  
  
"Excuse me." a voice said. They looked at the direction of the voice and saw an old lady standing there. "I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you need a place to stay." She walked up to Shadow. "You and your umm." She looks at Tails, "friend can stay with me for the night."  
  
"Oh no, we don't want to be rude." Tails said politely.  
  
"No-no, I insist. You look like you have been traveling and need food and a nice hot shower. My husband and I would love to have you over. You can use my son's old room." She laughed all teary eyed, "Funny, he was called to fight when he was just about your age," she motioned to Shadow, "and we haven't seen him since." she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, "But my husband and I love to have company. So please, follow me." She handed a tissue to little Tails, who had silent tears running into his fur. Shadow and Tails then followed the woman, depending on the kindness that she offered.  
  
****  
  
"Tadaima." The old woman said as she opened the door.  
  
"Okarinasai." The old man said looking up. "Oh, who are these people."  
  
"They needed a place to stay. They have been traveling." The old man got up and walked to Tails.  
  
"What's your name, son?" he asked the youth.  
  
"I'm Tails." He said shyly.  
  
"And you?" The old woman asked. "What's this handsome young man's name?"  
  
Shadow blushed. He never had been called handsome before. The old lady giggled. "Shadow. My name is Shadow." He said.  
  
"So, Tails, would you like a bath?" The old lady asked.  
  
"Oh yes. That would be nice. Thank you!" Tails said.  
  
The old man cleared his throat. "Please if you don't mind me asking, why do you have two tails?"  
  
The old lady glared at him and he sweat-dropped. Tails blushed. "Really it is okay. That's the way I was born. Would you like to see something really cool?" The old man nodded. The old woman continued to glare at her husband. Tails got up and went outside. The three others followed. Tails spun up his tails and said, "Ready? Here we go!" Tails pushed off the ground and let his tails fly. He flew up high and looked down.  
  
The old man and old woman were stunned. "Well," the old man said, "I didn't expect that."  
  
"Yeah," Shadow said, "He is something, huh?"  
  
"Is he your son? Or maybe he's your brother?" The old woman asked.  
  
"No, I'm too young to have a son and I have no family. I'm his bodyguard."  
  
"Oh? Why?" The old woman asked.  
  
"Until we can locate his best friend, I have to protect him. Someone is trying to hurt him."  
  
"Oh I see." Said the old man.  
  
"Tails, lets get you into a bath!" Shouted the old woman.  
  
"Alright!" Tails landed beside Shadow. "See ya Shadow."  
  
"Yeah." They all went inside and the old man and Shadow sat down while Tails went upstairs with the old woman.  
  
****  
  
"Okay, you two," the old woman led the two boys up the stairs and opened a door, "This is your room." She stepped inside and flicked the light switch on.  
  
"Oh." Tails said. Shadow just stared. The room was a little bigger than a walk in closet. The bed took up almost half of the room and there was only enough space for walking. There was a small chest in the very back of the room.  
  
"Sorry that it is so small. We don't have much room in the house. In fact, the room my husband and I have is not much bigger than this."  
  
"That's okay. It is the thought that counts! You're doing this out of the kindness of your hearts so it's fine." Tails said.  
  
"I've been in smaller places. This will be fine." Shadow said. He and Tails both bowed to the old lady.  
  
"Thank you." The old lady said. "If you need anything, you may be aloud downstairs to the kitchen. And two doors to your right is the bathroom. In case of an emergency, you can come to my bedroom down on the first floor right on your left. Sweet dreams, boys. I'll have breakfast ready at nine. Oyasuminasai." She left and closed the door behind her.  
  
"Well," Tails said, looking around.  
  
"I will sleep on the floor." Shadow said.  
  
"Oh, you don't have to. I don't mind." Tails said. They both looked at the solid hardwood floor and sweat-dropped.  
  
"Ahem. Well, I guess now neither of us want to sleep on the floor." Shadow commented.  
  
"Well," Tails sat on the bed, "We can both. sleep on the bed. 'cause I don't take too much room and stuff. and." Tails looked at his feet and began to tap them together. He had been blushing heavily. Shadow began to blush a little.  
  
"Well, It won't be a little awkward for you?" Shadow asked Tails.  
  
"Um. no. But only 'cause I have slept in the same bed as a hedgehog before so the spikes won't bother me."  
  
"No, I meant sleeping in the same bed as a boy." Shadow blushed. "And, I've never. shared a bed before."  
  
"That's okay. Until I met Sonic, neither had I. Sonic is like my older brother. We do everything together. well, almost everything." Tails said. "When you were growing up, did you have someone like that?" Tails asked shyly.  
  
Shadow tensed up. "Well, before they. froze me. yes. Growing up I had a best friend."  
  
"What was his name?" Tails asked.  
  
"It wasn't a boy. It was a girl. I really don't want to talk about it." Shadow said, taking his shoes off. Tails began to do the same. When Shadow was done, he got up and turned the light switch off. The room was very dark except the little light that came in through the small window. Tails and Shadow crawled into bed.  
  
"Shadow?" Tails asked a few minutes later, "Are you asleep yet?"  
  
"No." He replied.  
  
"Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I'll tell you something about me if you'd like."  
  
"Okay. How did you meet Sonic?"  
  
"I was all alone for as long as I could remember and I had no friends. All the other people would make fun of my two tails. Until one day when Sonic found me and told off all of them. We have been friends ever since." Tails said, turning over in bed.  
  
"Tails isn't your real name, is it?" Shadow asked.  
  
"No. That is only a nickname. My real name is Miles Prower. But I hate it. So Sonic nicknamed me Tails and it stuck." Tails smiled.  
  
"I like Tails better anyway." Shadow said.  
  
"Well, Shadow, how about you?"  
  
"Okay. I never had parents. I was created in a lab, basically." The teen confessed.  
  
"Who created you?" Tails asked.  
  
"His name was Doctor Gerald. He was Eggman's Grandfather." Shadow trembled in anger.  
  
"Oh. Well, who was your best friend? Sorry to ask again, but if it is too sad, you don't have to tell me."  
  
"I guess I can tell you. Her name was Maria and she was like my big sister. I had known her for as long as I can remember. He had created me for her. She was ill and I was given to her on the ARK so that she wouldn't be alone while her Grandfather did experiments. The government found out about Gerald's projects and ordered to dispose of them all. Maria wanted me to go to earth and save all the creatures there. I was in the capsule to go and she was killed protecting me. She risked her life to save me. That's when I was captured and frozen."  
  
"How long were you frozen for?" Tails asked.  
  
"Too long. over 50 years as far as I know." Tails eyes widened. "It could be less or more." Shadow stared into the darkness.  
  
(A.N.: Tee hee! On July 27 we got SA2:Battle. And four days later we beat it! Ha! I was very, very close!! But I will continue while I listen to "Believe in Myself")  
  
"Oh. so you. are like a stranger in a new world?" Tails asked.  
  
"Yes, putting it simply." Shadow said.  
  
"Do you have any friends now?" Tails asked bashfully.  
  
"No. I don't really know anyone. That is unless you can count Rouge and Eggman as 'friends'. The closest thing I have to a friend right now is you, Tails."  
  
"I'm flattered really. My closest friend in the world is a hedgehog and another considers me his only friend. I must be one lucky fox!" Tails giggles.  
  
"I guess." Shadow replied. Tails stopped giggling. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Shadow?" Tails asked.  
  
"Mmm?" Shadow mumbled.  
  
"Are you asleep?"  
  
"No, Tails."  
  
There was another long pause.  
  
"Are you even tired?" whispered Tails  
  
"Not really." Shadow whispered back, "But I think we should try to sleep anyway. wait, what's that noise?"  
  
Tails listened carefully. The noise was like a low mechanical humming coming from outside. Tails got out of bed, went to the window and peeked out. There was a tall, cloaked figure in the street meeting another shorter one.  
  
"The humming must be an engine nearby. Man, I wish Knuckles was here so he could hear what they are saying and tell us." Tails said to Shadow, who had joined him at the window.  
  
"Don't forget that I am the ultimate life, Tails." Shadow opened the window and closed his eyes. He looked to be focused in on them. There was silence.  
  
"Shadow?" Tails asked.  
  
Shadow's eyes popped open, glazed over and empty. His face was expressionless.  
  
". did you bring it, Kilashandra?" He said. Tails looked at Shadow strangely when he heard a feminine voice.  
  
"Yes, Lexxon. It was very hard to acquire. But here it is, the first chaos emerald we need to complete the plan." Tails saw the glowing gem handed to the tall figure. The figure stashed it away in one of the folds in his robe.  
  
Shadow spoke again, "The master needs the other six, you know. He won't be happy with just one."  
  
"Yes, I know that. The master also wants that other thing taken care of. Have you done that?"  
  
"No. There seems to be a glitch in the plan. I took care of one of them but that other one keeps eluding me. A black hedgehog with red stripes keeps interfering." Shadow seemed to reply.  
  
"A black hedgehog? Wait let me look it up. Ahh yes. Shadow the Hedgehog, the ultimate life. Didn't he die?" The woman questioned.  
  
"Apparently not. Somehow he survived and is getting in our way. But something tells me that he is not at full power and will be easy to get rid of." Shadow spoke.  
  
"And the runt?" Kilashandra asked, crossing her arms.  
  
"Good as gone."  
  
"By the way, where is the older one? The blue hedgehog, I think. Sonic?"  
  
"Sonic." Tails gasped.  
  
"He is in the dungeon at Gigitanko Castle. He and the fox will be at the ceremony, I promise. They will become one of the brotherhood or die." Shadow said in a menacing way. The figures saluted each other and parted.  
  
Shadow blinked his eyes a couple of times and fell back onto the bed. He opened his eyes and looked at Tails.  
  
"What are they planning?" Shadow asked weakly. He put his hand to his head.  
  
"What do you mean? You just told me!" Tails said.  
  
"I don't know what I said. I went in and let his thoughts be my own."  
  
"Oh." Tails said. "So you acted like a connection speaker for me. I heard what the girl said, too."  
  
"So what's going on?" Shadow sat up on the bed.  
  
"They have some sort of plan in store for Sonic and I. They are collecting the Chaos Emeralds for some 'master plan' that the leader of their 'brotherhood' has. It seems that they already have captured Sonic and have imprisoned him in Gigitanko Castle." Tails informed. "Do you know where that is?"  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't tell you, Tails. Looks like were going to have to find the emeralds and then save Sonic at the same time." Shadow said. He looked at his little fox companion. "But first, we need sleep. I used quite a lot of energy just doing something like that. I am not at full power. Anyway, it would be very good to recharge my batteries." Shadow lay down in the bed. Tails sat on the bed and flopped down. They closed their eyes and went to sleep. 


	3. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3  
  
Shadow opened his eyes and looked around. It took him a minute to realize where he was and then looked at the wall. Judging by the dull gray on the otherwise white wall, he figured that it must be around five or five-thirty in the morning. He began to get up but the young fox had turned over and used Shadow as a pillow. Tails was all snuggled into Shadow's fur. Shadow sighed and put his hand on Tails' head and stroked his bangs back. Tails opened his tired crystal eyes and yawned. He looked at Shadow who had been caught petting Tails. Tails either didn't mind or didn't realize that Shadow was doing that because all he said was, "Good morning, Shadow."  
  
Shadow cleared his throat, taking his hand off Tails' head. "Good Morning."  
  
"What time is it?" Tails asked.  
  
"I think about five-thirty. Unless it is cloudy out." Shadow said getting up. He walked over to the window and looked out. "Oops, I'm wrong on both counts. It is getting near daylight savings, so it must be six-thirty. see the sun is rising." Shadow walked over to Tails.  
  
"Shadow, should we go downstairs?" Tails asked.  
  
"I'm not sure if the old woman is up yet." Shadow said.  
  
"Let's see then. And if she's not, we can make breakfast for them." Tails said.  
  
"Are you always so bright and cheery when you wake up?" Shadow asked groggily. He felt tired.  
  
"Well, sometimes I don't get to sleep until well after midnight because of my inventing. I am so worried for Sonic." Tails looked at the floor. He began to cry. "I don't know where he is!! He's depending on me but I can't do anything for him!"  
  
Shadow didn't know what to do. He had never had to comfort anyone before. He didn't know how. He bent over and kissed Tails' forehead.  
  
"Tails, I promised to protect you. But now, I am adding to that. Tails, I promise to help you find Sonic and get him back safely to Station Square." Tails stopped crying and looked up at Shadow.  
  
"Really?" Tails sniffled.  
  
"Yes. Dry your eyes and lets go downstairs to see the old woman." Shadow said.  
  
****  
  
The cold room was so uninviting that not even the mice wanted to be there. The floor was damp and hard. In fact the whole room was dark, cold and wet and made entirely out of stone. A lone figure in chains sat in the corner. Two hooded figures came over to the cell's barred door and unlocked it. They came in and pulled the figure to his feet. They held him by the arms as he struggled in their grasp. They walked down a long cold hallway and stopped in front of a large door that opened all on its own. The figure is thrown in and the doors close with a heavy thud. The room had a hole in the ceiling that gave the impression of a spotlight and the room had a post in the middle. Chains were scattered about the room. There was a rut around the floor with drain plugs open. There were no exits except the door he came through and another, smaller door. He waited there, not knowing what was next. The door opened and in came a large muscular man wearing a mask and behind him was a smaller, more slender man in a hood. The latter walked up to the figure as the former grabbed him and chained him to the post.  
  
"The world famous hero Sonic the Hedgehog." The hooded man said. "Hmm. how are we going to do this? I know. We'll try the easy way first." He snapped his fingers together and the door opened and in came in the hooded figures from before. They walked in the room. "Yes, master?"  
  
"Kilashandra, Lexxon, show the prisoner what you have acquired."  
  
The larger figure pulled out the sparkling gem from the folds of his robe and gave it to the 'master'.  
  
"A chaos emerald!" Sonic said, shocked.  
  
"Yes. I knew you were smarter than you looked. Blue heathen, do you know what I can do when I have all seven?" Sonic's eyes widened.  
  
"What do you need me for?!" Sonic asked.  
  
"You, my blue knave, are going to tell me where the other six are." The 'master' said slyly.  
  
"No Way!" Sonic shouted.  
  
"I was afraid of this. Now we have to do this the hard way." he tapped Sonic's cheek, "Beat it out of him." The 'master' motioned with his hand as he walked off and stopped in front of the door. "Tell me when he is ready to talk. But first, I want to watch some of the fun."  
  
The big masked man came over to Sonic and cracked him in the jaw. Sonic didn't regain his senses before another painful blow was made. He then unchained Sonic and let him slump to the floor.. Sonic opened his eyes when he heard the big guy move away. He saw the guy hit a switch as chains came down from the ceiling and clanged on the floor. He came back to Sonic and clapped them on his wrists. He took chains attached to the floor and put them on his ankles. He returned to the switch and pressed it again. The chains began to rise and the pole sunk. Sonic was lifted up and off the floor so that he was held in the air. The chains stopped and the big guy reached for the wall again and retrieved a whip. The master laughed as the whip lashed down on Sonic again and again until it began drawing blood. Sonic was crying out in pain and swearing at the tormentor. This just made it come down harder on the hedgehog.  
  
"Stop." the master laughed. "Will you talk now, hedgehog?" he asked as he walked up to Sonic. Sonic spit at his feet.  
  
"Hmm, not yet? Carry on then." The master turned to leave. Then suddenly the door opened and two guards came in.  
  
"Sir, this was found trying to get in. Climbing the north wall." "LET ME GO!!"  
  
"Mwahahaha! Who are you?"  
  
'Knuckles.' Sonic thought.  
  
"Who wants to know?" Knuckles shouted.  
  
"Throw him in the cell!" The master yelled. The guards walked off. "Now carry on before I get upset!" The master walked off as the large brute began whipping Sonic again. Tired and in pain, Sonic couldn't take it anymore and passed out.  
  
****  
  
"Hey! I told you to let go of me!!" Knuckles shouted at the two goons. They dragged Knuckles to the cell and threw him in. As they locked the door, Knuckles grasped the door's bars and shouted at them when they walked out.  
  
"Grr! I can't believe that I even tried to come and save that idiot Sonic! Why! Why did I do this?" Knuckles said to himself. "Huh, I know why, but I can't tell him. He'll never accept it. DAMN HEDGEHOG!!" Knuckles flopped down on the stone floor.  
  
Not too long after, Knuckles heard chains clinking on the stone floor. He got up and went to the barred door. There was a large, masked man approaching the door. Behind him he dragged the bloody and broken Sonic.  
  
"Sonic!" The man opened the door and whipped the Hedgehog in and he landed on Knuckles. Knuckles picked Sonic off him and laid him down next to him. The man walked off.  
  
"Sonic! Sonic! Oh great ancestors, what do I do?" He looked around. He saw a puddle of water in the corner. He picked up Sonic and sat him against the wall. He began to splash water on Sonic. Sonic opened his heavy eyelids to reveal fear and slight hesitation in his clear emerald eyes.  
  
"Knux? Izzat you?" He said weakly. Knuckles nodded and cupped water into his hands and sprinkled it on Sonic, washing the blood off. Sonic clenched his teeth and groaned. It was painful to hear that out of Sonic and Knuckled shivered.  
  
"Knux, I didn' tell, no." Sonic said softy yet proudly like a five year old showing his mother a picture of scribbles.  
  
"Didn't tell what?" Knuckled asked as he finished wiping the rest of the blood off. Sonic took a quick breath.  
  
"Where the Chaos Emeralds are hid." Sonic said closing his eyes and falling to sleep.  
  
"What? That's what they want to know?" Knuckles asked him. "Why? Hey wake up, Sonic!" Sonic snored into Knuckles' chest. Knuckles sighed and decided that it really was getting late and he might as well go to sleep, too. So, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes and slept, holding the injured hedgehog in his lap. 


	4. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4  
  
"Well, good morning boys. How was your sleep?" the old lady asked when she saw Shadow and Tails walk down the staircase.  
  
"It was okay." Tails said. He walked to the kitchen table and sat down next to the old lady. She got up and went to the fridge.  
  
"Would you boys like some bacon and eggs with some nice orange juice?" She asked, pulling out the coffee grinds.  
  
"No thank you, not for me." Shadow said, "Though I could use some water please."  
  
"Of course. But you're sure you don't want anything?"  
  
"Oh no. We wouldn't want to intrude anymore than we have."  
  
"Intrude?" The old lady said. "Why, you were perfect angels for us. You were no trouble at all. This is the least I could do." The old lady took some food from the fridge. "I will make you some lunch for your way."  
  
"Thank you." Tails said.  
  
"You know," She turned to Shadow with a glass of water. "You remind me so much of my son. He was handsome and polite just like you." She turned back to the food.  
  
"He was a good boy. I named him Song Honor. He grew so tall. Of course, we did adopt him when he was just a cub. We never had any children of our own."  
  
"A cub?" Tails asked.  
  
"Yes, a tiger cub. He was found in an alley with his mother and father murdered. They were both of great royalty's blood. No one would take him because he always hid. But when I saw him, I instantly wanted to hold and protect him. But I couldn't protect him from the law. As soon as he was eighteen, they drafted him to the war. That was ten years ago. He would be twenty-eight now. I miss him so much!" she began to cry.  
  
"They never found him?" Shadow asked.  
  
"No, he just disappeared." The old lady said, regaining her composure.  
  
The old lady finished putting together the lunches and handed them to the boys. She bent over and hugged Tails. Then she went to Shadow and patted his shoulder. "I hope you find your friend. Good luck and good bye. If you ever need anything, come and see me and my husband." She led them to the door.  
  
"Thank you and goodbye!" Tails said.  
  
"Yes thank you." Shadow said as he and Tails bowed. "Tell the old man we said goodbye."  
  
"Take care now boys." The old woman said as they left.  
  
****  
  
Tails and Shadow were walking down the street to the city limits when Tails spotted a familiar apartment building.  
  
"Shadow, what about Amy? What if. Hurry! Follow me!" Tails ran off in the direction of the apartment.  
  
When they arrived, the door was wide open. "Amy!!" Tails shouted. "Amy?! Where are you?"  
  
They entered the room. Books and papers were strewn everywhere. The T.V. was broken on the floor and so was the glass window. The floor had a bit of blood on it as well did the couch. "Amy was here. I bet it was those hoodies from last night!" Tails said growing ever angrier.  
  
"They kidnapped her too?" Shadow said with a slight ferocity to him. Tails backed off away from him. He was being scary.  
  
"We have to go find her!" Tails said. "I bet she is at the same place where Sonic is." Tails said.  
  
"Lets go then. We must find them. Lets try and get in contact with Rouge. We may be able to find out where that castle is from her!" Shadow said. He motioned with his hand and they left.  
  
****  
  
Knuckles was awoken by the shifting of Sonic on his lap and opened his drowsy amethyst eyes. He looked down at the stirring hedgehog. Sonic turned around to face Knuckles with his hurt eyes. Sonic slowly got up and popped his neck.  
  
"Ahhhhh. that hurts." Sonic groaned. He looked at Knuckles who was sitting there staring.  
  
"What?" Knuckles said.  
  
"When the hell did you come he- oh yeah. I remember now." Sonic said getting up. "So what time is it?" Sonic asked going over to the barred door.  
  
Knuckles got up and went to the little barred window. He had to stand on his tiptoes, grab the bars, and pull himself up to see. He saw the sun was just rising.  
  
"It looks to be six or seven in the morning." Knuckles dropped down and brought his arm to his side. "Sonic?"  
  
"Yeah, Knux?" Sonic answered. He turned around and looked at the echidna. He was just about to speak when there were noises coming to their door. The big man came and opened the door. He grabbed Sonic firmly and dragged him out of the cell. He locked Knuckles in again and the echidna grabbed the bars. Sonic was dragged to the room once again. The doors opened and the 'master' was there, grinning like no tomorrow. The pole was there again and Sonic was attached to it.  
  
"So, you persistent freak, are you going to torture me again?" Sonic asked smugly. "You are wasting your time, I'm never going to tell!"  
  
"Oh? You won't? I think what I have behind that door will change your mind. Lexxon!" Sonic looked toward the door in mention. The door opened and Lexxon stepped out, holding a little pink and squirming number in red.  
  
"AMY!" Sonic shouted, struggling against the chains.  
  
"Sonic!" Amy shouted back. "Help me!"  
  
"Don't you hurt her!" Sonic shouted at the 'master'.  
  
"I won't if you tell me where the emeralds are!" he replied. "Lexxon put her away." Lexxon carried the kicking and screaming Amy away.  
  
The master looked evilly to Sonic. Sonic glared back.  
  
"I think we will try to do something different this time around. Kilashandra?" The girl came out.  
  
"Yes, master?"  
  
"Take care of him. Make him talk."  
  
"Master, If I may?" she asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Tonight, sir. For I have another important matter to attend to at this moment." "Yes Kilashandra, of course. Tonight, Hedgehog." The master looked to the big brute. "Take him away!"  
  
He unchained Sonic and took him back to his cell. Then, he threw him in again. "Sonic? What happened? You didn't crack did you?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"No, but they have Amy Rose." Sonic said in quiet anger.  
  
"Amy." Knuckles said, surprised.  
  
****  
  
I would like to take this time to thank Vincent Valentine for helping me with this. I just registered this morning so I don't know how to handle this yet! Thank you! 


	5. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5  
  
Rouge sat in her house reading one of her intelligence reports. She absently played with a lock of hair as she read. She sighed and put the papers down and rubbed her temples.  
  
"I think that I need a break. How am I supposed to find out who stole the green chaos emerald? And with no real witnesses there? The damn camera didn't even pick up the steal! It fuzzed out! It's like. magic."  
  
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Coming!"  
  
Rouge went to the door. 'No one ever visits me. What is going on?' She opened the door and came face to face with Shadow and Tails.  
  
"Oh! Hello! Shadow!? Oh my gosh! I thought that. Shadow welcome back!"  
  
Rouge hugged Shadow. Shadow looked annoyed and pushed her off himself.  
  
"We didn't come here for a happy visit, Rouge." Tails said.  
  
"Oh. well come in." She led them into her house and into her small living room.  
  
"Listen, Rouge," Shadow said, "we have a job for you."  
  
"Rouge, we need you to find a location for us. Sonic has been captured and so has Amy." Tails paused, "And we think that they are both in Gigitanko Castle. That is where Sonic is and they're probably using her as bait."  
  
Rouge sat there with a blank expression on her face. She shook her head and then said, "I have my own problems as well. Someone has been stealing the chaos-"  
  
"Emeralds, we know." Shadow said.  
  
"We can give you the lead on those, too. Two suspicious characters had the green chaos emerald. They may go after the others as well. They are from the same castle and have took Sonic as well!" Tails cried.  
  
"Ah-ha! Find Sonic and I will find the culprit as well! Clever!" She shouted. "Lets get to work!"  
  
****  
  
Amy sat tied to a chair in a large room. The room was lighted well. It wasn't like the boys' cell. There was a grand carpet on the floor and a large bed in the corner. The room looked like someone's bedroom. Then, Lexxon came in the room and walked up to Amy.  
  
"Let Sonic and me go! What are you after?" Amy asked.  
  
"Who? Me? Or the Master maybe." Lexxon asked. He walked around her and untied her. She got up and sized herself up to him. She was about three and a half feet shorter than him. She shrugged it off and walked away from him. He stood with his back turned to her and began to unbutton his hood. Amy's eyes widened as it dropped to the floor.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Amy said. Standing in front of her was a full-grown Asian Tiger.  
  
"My name is Lexxon." He said. He was a handsome creature to behold. His deep and green eyes made it seem like he was almost gentile, yet his muscles and powerful jaw scared Amy. He walked up to her and looked down at her.  
  
"This is your room. I'm here to ask you questions." His voice was deep and masculine. Nothing like Sonic. But Amy wasn't into that kind of thing. She loved Sonic and nothing could change her mind.  
  
"Like what questions?" Amy asked sitting on the bed. Lexxon stood facing her.  
  
"Like 'Do you know where any of the Chaos Emeralds?'" He said. "Your little boyfriend won't say where."  
  
"Well, if he says nothing, I'll say nothing." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, turning her head the other way.  
  
"Fine, Have it your way." Lexxon said. He exited the room and locked the door. Amy opened her eye a crack and looked at the door. Her eyes welled up with tears and she began to sob.  
  
"Oh Sonic." She said quietly, "I am going to be the death of you." She sobbed again.  
  
****  
  
"Well, boys." Rouge said, "I have to be going now. I must go and report this new information to the President and then visit Knuckles. I think he can help me find the other chaos emeralds. You boys are going to look too, right?"  
  
"Of course. Those thieves can't get the emeralds if they are going to hurt innocent people!" Tails said.  
  
"Here Tails. Take this." Rouge gave Tails a cell phone. "If any thing should happen, just call me on this and I will come to you where ever you are. But don't call me over and over or I will ignore you."  
  
"Can I call every time that we find a chaos emerald?" Tails asked.  
  
"Of course, if anything do that!! Or if you should get captured or hurt. Got it?" She turned around and locked the door to her house. "See you soon boys!" She jumped off the ground and spread her wings and flew away. The boys stood there a minute and Shadow looked to Tails.  
  
"Well, lets go then." Tails spun his tails together and they sped off. They were going through Aquatic Ruin when Tails stopped. Shadow slowed down.  
  
"What's up?" Shadow asked.  
  
"I think that there is a chaos emerald some where in this ruin." Tails walked over to a log and sat down.  
  
"Neither of us has been here before-"  
  
"Sonic and I have, long ago. When I was younger. Our first adventure together was to stop Eggman from taking over the world." Tails said, giggling. "It was loads of fun. But Sonic did put me into loads of danger as well. I guess he still is." Tails stopped short. He spotted a large altar near the mouth of the forest.  
  
"Hey what's that?" Tails got up and went over to investigate. He looked on top of the great altar and saw the red emerald glimmering there like a ruby. Tails walked up to it.  
  
"Shadow! It's another Chaos Emerald!" Shadow and Tails walked up to it and were about to take it when a mighty voice stopped them.  
  
"Toucheth not, thine eyes may just look." The owner of the voice stepped out. It was a lion, about 30 or 31 years of age and very well grown. He had battle scars all over his body. Tails was frightened and put his tails between his legs. Shadow shielded Tails with his arm.  
  
"What dost thine desire? Why art thou here?" The Lion asked.  
  
"Were here to save the chaos emeralds before it is too late!" Shadow said.  
  
"The chaos emerald!? The sacred stone?" The lion asked.  
  
"Yes! The world is in grave danger." Tails said.  
  
The lion studied Tails and Shadow deeply. He stared into their eyes as if judging their souls. He straightened himself up and replied, "Thine orange one may take it. I do not trust thou hedgehog." Shadow narrowed his eyes.  
  
"If the world is in the danger that thine soul says that is. then you may take it."  
  
"Thanks, um." tails said, inquiring to know his name.  
  
"Sir Roland Smith at thine service." He said.  
  
"Thank you Sir Roland." Tails said.  
  
Tails walked up to the Chaos emerald and took it.  
  
"A word of caution, young one. That emerald belongs to yonder tribe who-" He was cut off by loud whooping and racket in the bushes.  
  
A large group of women jumped out of the bushes and surrounded Tails.  
  
"Put gem back!" One shouted. She was obviously the leader by the way she was dressed.  
  
"But ma'am! The world is in grave danger!" Tails shouted.  
  
Fifteen women thrust out their spears.  
  
****  
  
When I started this story in July, I had no idea where it was going. But alas, it is September again and school has started. I have muchas tareas if you know what I mean. So the story will not be updated as often as I'd like it to. But I promise that I will set one FULL day aside for just writing this story for you people on FF.net. I am sorry for the shortness of this chapter but I had to give you a little more!  
  
Love you peeps lots!  
  
Taiora Yaganouchi 


	6. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6  
  
Tails put the gem down and put his hands up.  
  
"Please listen to me! You are all in danger! These very bad people are trying to take all the emeralds and take over the world! Please! You have to believe me!!"  
  
The women looked at Tails. There was a long pause. The head woman walked up to Tails.  
  
"You pup tell truth?" the leader woman asked.  
  
"Yes! They have robes and dark faces and try to take the emeralds from everyone!" Tails said. The women put their spears down.  
  
"You pup not lie." She turned to her tribe, "We give stone. Pup no lie. Evil magician come and try to take earlier. She bad. Pup speaks the truth." She turned back to Tails. "Pup, you come with hedgehog and eat with us?"  
  
Tails looked at Shadow.  
  
"Sorry, we have to find the other emeralds before the 'evil magician' takes them and tries to take over the world." Shadow replied.  
  
"Ahh, I see. Good-bye. Be safe on you journey." The woman said and bowed.  
  
"Yes take care young ones. Save our world from yonder evil!" Sir Roland said.  
  
Tails picked the emerald up and pocketed it. "Thank you! Bye!" Tails waved to the group and ran off with Shadow.  
  
****  
  
"We have got to get out of here!" Knuckles said to Sonic. Sonic was on the floor and stared off into space.  
  
"Amy." Sonic said. He felt bad that he couldn't help her.  
  
"Hey Sonic! Snap out of it!" Knuckles hit Sonic upside the head. Sonic looked at Knuckles.  
  
"What are we going to do? Knuckles, they won't let us or Amy go until I tell tem where the chaos emeralds are." Sonic said.  
  
"Why you? What do you know?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"Aww, I hid 'em all so that this wouldn't happen!" Sonic kicked at the ground. "But apparently they found out it was me."  
  
"Oh." Knuckles said.  
  
There were a few minutes of silence between the two boys. Sonic walked over to the barred window and peeked out of it. The sun was setting.  
  
"That hooded girl is gonna come for me soon." Sonic said. "I wonder what she possibly could do to me." Sonic went over to the corner that Knuckles was sitting in and flopped down next to him.  
  
"Sonic." Knuckles said. Sonic looked at him. "Sonic, how long have I known you?"  
  
Sonic thought for a minute. "Three years, now that I think about it. Why Knuckles what's up?" (A/N: Remember that peeps? Knuckles was fifteen when he met Sonic. He is now eighteen. Thus three years. ^w^)  
  
"Well-" Knuckles was cut off again by the guards.  
  
"Come on Hedgehog. Let's go." The guard opened the door and pulled Sonic off the floor. They took him out of the cell for the millionth time and closed the door behind them. They took him down a different corridor and to a tiny room. It looked like a bedroom and there were candles lit and a tall woman standing in the middle of it. The guards threw him in and closed the door. The woman turned around.  
  
Sonic's eyes widened. She was beautiful. She was a snow white fox with powder blue eyes and glossy dark pink hair. She wore a maroon dress that revealed her black thong and her cleavage and black boots that rose up to her knees. She also wore a gold necklace with a jade stone in the pendant. She really wasn't much taller than Sonic himself.  
  
"I am Kilashandra. I hope that you are not offended by the bit-personal touch to the room." She walked past him and flaunted her fluffy white tail in front of his face.  
  
"So Sonic, please. Would you tell me where the chaos emeralds are hidden? Just one at least?"  
  
Sonic took a second to recover. "Uhh, you have to promise me one thing."  
  
Kilashandra took a step closer to him and came up to him with a seducing stare. "Sure, what is it?"  
  
Sonic gulped in a breath of air. "D-don't harm Amy Rose in any way." He closed his eyes.  
  
"Oh? Is that all?" She asked.  
  
"Hmm. No! Don't you hurt Knuckles in any way as well!" Sonic said, trying not to look at her.  
  
"You are sure now?" Kilashandra asked.  
  
"Promise me, Kilashandra!" Sonic yelled.  
  
"Fine. I promise that no one will hurt the echidna or that other girl, Okay?"  
  
Sonic took a deep breath, regretting what he was about to do.  
  
****  
  
After Tails and Shadow's adventure in Aquatic Ruin, they entered Ice Cap Zone.  
  
"Wow it is cold here." Shadow said.  
  
"Believe me, you'll be thankful." Tails said. He pointed to the loop-de- loops, cliffs, snow banks and the long path ahead. "I know just where the emerald is here!" Tails said. "Come on!" Tails ran off, leading the way.  
  
Shadow followed Tails through the snowdrifts and loops until they got to a trampoline suspended in the air. Tails jumped on it and flew out of sight. Shadow drew in a deep breath and jumped on it as well.  
  
When he looked again, he was in a cave with Tails. A long tunnel was there in front of them.  
  
"Let's go." Tails said. "There is just a clear path from here to there."  
  
They walked down the long tunnel. When they finally made it to the end, they saw the woman in a robe there picking up the blue chaos emerald.  
  
"Ah! Runt!" She said as she placed the emerald in the folds of her robe. "I could finally get a true two for one deal. The price was the freezing cold and the prize is you and the chaos emerald! Ho! Good, now come along." She stepped closer, prepared to lash out and grab him. Shadow rushed in front of her.  
  
"You!" She yelled. "You are always in the way! Why don't you just leave?"  
  
Shadow smirked, "No, I think not. Ha, you can't even get rid of a little fox. How can you hope to get rid of me?"  
  
"You. I HATE you!" She smacked him across the face. Blood trickled down from Shadow's lips. Tails gasped. Shadow smirked again.  
  
"Bitch." Shadow said.  
  
"How did you know about this place?" Tails asked.  
  
"Oh a certain somebody told me, fox boy."  
  
Tails' eyes widened. "Sonic. he-he told?"  
  
"You'll be surprised what you can get out of people when you have two hostages." She said smugly. Tails and Shadow had their mouths hanging open.  
  
"So long, fools!" She threw a ball on the ground and it exploded, making smoke where it was before. When the smoke cleared, Kilashandra was gone.  
  
"Aww, crap." Shadow said. "Now they have two emeralds."  
  
Tails walked over to the pedestal where the emerald was. He began to push on it.  
  
Shadow looked over at him. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"Help me push this pedestal away!" Tails pushed harder.  
  
"Okay, but what is it gonna do?" Shadow walked over to him and began to help him push the pedestal. With the two boys pushing, it gave way to reveal a latched trap door.  
  
"Did she not think to check everywhere?" Tails opened the latch and pulled the door. Underneath, there was the silver chaos emerald.  
  
"Tails? How did you know about that?" Shadow asked.  
  
"I put it there by myself. I told Sonic that there were only six emeralds. Unfortunately, he is not so smart."  
  
"He believed you." Shadow said.  
  
"Yeah. That's why I'm always with him. I'm like his common sense and brain. Although some times, he proves himself to be quite intelligent." Tails said, pocketing the emerald.  
  
"Some times your cunning amazes me as well. You are pretty smart for a thirteen-year-old." Shadow said as they walked out of the cave.  
  
"What do you expect? I'm a fox!"  
  
****  
  
"You told?!" Knuckles shouted.  
  
"Sorry." Sonic mumbled.  
  
"Sorry. SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!!" Knuckles fumed. "Sonic, you can't say anymore! No more! No matter what!"  
  
"Knuckles! They threatened to kill you. Amy too."  
  
Knuckles looked down. "Hey, sorry Sonic."  
  
"You should be! Do you know how much I-" Sonic caught himself. Knuckles eyes widened, "Forget it. Forget that I said anything." Sonic went to a corner and sat down. He laid on the ground and closed his eyes. Knuckles started toward him.  
  
"No.go to sleep." Sonic said angrily. Knuckles went to the other side and laid down and went to sleep.  
  
****  
  
The sunlight poured in through in little sections on the floor. Some of them landed on Knuckles' head. He opened his eyes groggily and looked around. He looked where Sonic slept last night. He wasn't there. Knuckles looked down. There he was. Sonic had slept near Knuckles. 'Probably for warmth.' Knuckles thought, 'But maybe. no. Sonic isn't like that.' Sonic snuggled closer. 'Is he?' Sonic snored. Knuckles sweatdropped. That's about the time when Knuckles realized that he was all wet.  
  
"Damn it Sonic! Get off of me!" He pushed (rather regrettably, mind you) Sonic off himself and wiped himself off.  
  
"Sheesh. What's wrong?" Sonic asked sleepily.  
  
"You DROOL when you sleep and I was your pillow!"  
  
Sonic sweatdropped. "Ne. sorry. You are a grump when you wake up, aren't you?"  
  
Knuckles growled at Sonic. Sonic laughed tensely.  
  
"I hope Amy had a better night than us." Sonic said. Knuckles stopped glaring at Sonic and agreed.  
  
****  
  
Amy sat in her room and looked around. She was bored. She dangled her feet from the side of the bed and then flopped down on the bed. She played with the corner of the sheets.  
  
"I wish they'd let me see Sonic. I want to hug him. I miss him so much." She sat up. "I have got to find a way to get me and Sonic out of here."  
  
Amy got up and went to her door. She put her hand on the handle and turned but the door was locked. Amy thought a moment.  
  
"This is a big castle. There must be another way out." She looked around her room again. She spotted a candlestick on the wall.  
  
"Hmm. I wonder." Amy walked over to the candlestick and pulled. She expected some thing extravagant to happen like a secret door to open or something. It broke off the wall.  
  
"Obviously not." That is when she saw the sign that said 'secret exit'. She smacked herself upside the head. "Of course."  
  
She walked up to it and pulled the lever. She waited a moment. Nothing happened. She pulled it again. Still nothing. Amy sighed. She pulled it again.  
  
"What the hell is this supposed to doo-oooo?!" Amy fell through a trap door underneath her. She screamed and the door closed.  
  
****  
  
Thanks for bearing with me folks. I have all honors classes and all sorts of homework and projects and hardly any time to do anything. but that's what I get for being 8/346 in my class. So thanks again, readers. I hope you enjoy this fic as much as me. I get a kick out of it but unfortunately my sister Pixie doesn't. Oh well. See you next chapter! Taiora Yaganouchi 


	7. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7  
  
Rouge flew over the Floating Island. She looked for that familiar little hut where Knuckles lived. When she finally spotted it, she swooped down and landed gracefully in front of it. She knocked on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again a little louder. Silence.  
  
"Knuckles?" She called. She opened his door and peeked her head in. She spotted a piece of paper on the table. She picked it up.  
  
"It's from Knuckles." She said aloud.  
  
'Dear Rouge,  
  
If you are reading this then I am not back yet. I have gone to Gigitanko Castle. If I am not back yet, look in the top right drawer in the chest of drawers in my room.' She went into his room and pulled the drawer open. She saw a bunch of socks and a glowing object under them. She pushed them aside and picked up the purple Chaos Emerald with a gasp. 'Protect it! If you want to find me, the location to the castle is with it.  
  
Knuckles'  
  
Rouge looked into the drawer and found a small CD.  
  
"This must contain the information that I need!" She exclaimed. She ran out of his room and out of the door, closing it on her way out.  
  
****  
  
"Tails, We still need three more emeralds! Where are they?" Shadow asked the little fox.  
  
Tails looked at him. "Well, two of them are in City West. Let's go there." Tails said.  
  
"Okay." They ran west toward the city.  
  
They were almost half way there when it started to get dark. Shadow and Tails stopped. "We need to rest for the night. If we don't, who knows what danger we could run into." Tails said.  
  
"Good," Shadow replied. He looked around. "Tails. Look over there, about half a mile up is a forest. I bet we could find shelter there."  
  
"Yeah and maybe a nice place to cool off too. I think that I don't smell too good." Tails said, taking off into the sky.  
  
"Well, foxes tend to have a better sense of smell than hedgehogs do." Shadow smirked.  
  
"Yeah, and I can smell you from all the way up here!" Tails shouted from above. Shadow folded his arms.  
  
"Oh that's cold, man, that's like burr." Shadow said. (A/N: Just a little inside joke between me and my friend Nuriko-chan. ^w^)  
  
They ran up to the forested area and stopped. It was a lush, green, inviting and warm forest with a waterfall and a little brook. The waterfall had a little cave behind it and a perfect little thicket near the cave.  
  
"Tails, go and take a bath in the waterfall and I will go look for firewood." Shadow said.  
  
"But Shadow! How are we going to make a fire?" Tails asked worriedly.  
  
"I have a way." He held up his wrist that had the fire ring on it.  
  
"Okay." Tails bounded off in the direction of the waterfall.  
  
Shadow walked the other way. He figured that he would follow the brook up to their little campsite and find twigs and branches left by the beavers that were building their dam further up. Ten minutes went by and he found himself back at the campsite with an armful of fire wood. He was just about there when he saw a green glow coming from the campsite. Shadow dropped the firewood and ran back to the site. There he saw Kilashandra and Lexxon arriving. Tails ran over to Shadow and hid behind him.  
  
"Get away Kilashandra, I will handle this." Lexxon said as he cracked his knuckles. Kilashandra warped back and left Lexxon to take care of the job.  
  
Shadow stood in front of Tails. "You won't get him! So just forget about it! Leave!!"  
  
"Sorry, my orders tell me otherwise." The hooded Lexxon explained. Shadow ran up to Lexxon and they began to fight. Tails looked in fear at them. He heard a noise from behind him and spun around to see Kilashandra. Tails spun his tails together and flew up into the sky. Kilashandra cursed and called to Lexxon. Lexxon looked to her and Shadow look off his hood. Lexxon and Shadow froze.  
  
"You're a." Shadow looked at Lexxon's face. The tiger looked away and pushed Shadow off him. He ran to Kilashandra and they warped away.  
  
"Shadow? Are you okay?" Tails landed beside him.  
  
Shadow looked at Tails. "He was a tiger."  
  
"So?" Tails asked.  
  
"Never mind." Shadow walked over to the firewood that he had dropped earlier. Tails followed and helped him. Shadow and Tails walked over to their little campsite and set the firewood on the ground. Shadow then activated the ring and set the wood on fire. Tails looked at Shadow.  
  
"Shadow, don't you still have to take a shower?"  
  
****  
  
THUD  
  
"Owchie!" Amy yelled when she landed on the stone chamber's floor. She looked around. It was a dark and cold room. There was a door here, too. Amy quickly got up and ran to it. She pulled on the door ring and it opened to brilliant moonlight. She didn't realize that it was so late at night. There was a half moon and many stars filling up the sky.  
  
"I. I'm free?" Amy asked herself. She looked around and spotted rows and rows of bars along the wall. She went past them and looked into them. Each room she looked at was empty. Then she came upon a well-lighted window. She peaked into it. It was open. She saw Lexxon and Kilashandra standing in front of the 'leader'.  
  
"You let him escape again?" He asked angrily.  
  
"Sir, if I may explain-" Kilashandra started.  
  
"NO! No more explaining! I want him dead or alive in this castle in three days or it will be your heads on a silver platter!!"  
  
"But sir, there is the black hedgehog as well."  
  
"Get him too! I don't care what you do; just get me those emeralds! And that orange fox had better be here. you have been warned." The master waved his hand and turned toward the window. Amy gasped and ducked behind a bush. The master had a puzzled look on his face and came towards the window. He looked out and Amy held her breath. The master shook his head and left. Amy exhaled.  
  
"Anyway, I want you to leave, now." The master said. Amy looked again. The master was taking his cloak off. Amy gasped again.  
  
"He's an Echidna?" Amy asked herself. She crept out of sight. It was the first time she had seen him without the hood. He was an echidna, slightly taller than Knuckles and a darker shade of red as well. His skin tone seemed to be darker as well. His eyes were deep and gray. He looked to be older and more intelligent than Knuckles (if that was even possible). He also had a pouch, as did Knuckles, and a tribal tattoo on his arm.  
  
Amy ran as far as she could go along the wall but still never passed it. This was a large castle indeed. She sighed. That's when she heard a sound behind her. She spun around and only saw a dark shadow before she was knocked to the ground unconscious.  
  
****  
  
"Tails we had better leave." Shadow said as he stomped out the remaining embers in the campfire.  
  
"But why? We just got situated here." Tails asked confused.  
  
"They know where we are now. besides, I have been waiting to try out a little trick for some time now." Shadow smirked.  
  
"What trick?" Tails asked.  
  
"Wait and see. give me your hand." Shadow held out his hand.  
  
"Okay." Tails blushed lightly and grasped Shadow's hand.  
  
Shadow closed his eyes. He seemed to be concentrating. Tails wondered what was going on when a brilliant flash of red blinded him. Tails saw dots for a moment and when his vision cleared, they were in the hiding spot of the aqua Chaos Emerald. Tails looked at Shadow.  
  
"How. how did." Tails stuttered.  
  
"I read your thoughts and warped us here. I didn't know if I had enough energy but here we are." Shadow said. Tails felt a little nauseous and woozy.  
  
"Tails are you okay?" Shadow asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be okay." He walked over to the Emerald and took it off the pedestal that it rested on. Tails grabbed Shadow's hand and pulled him out of the room. They walked into a little comic shop. He continued to pull him out into the night and stopped to place the emerald in his pocket. Tails looked at Shadow.  
  
"It isn't yet nine o'clock is it?" Shadow looked around and saw the clock on the bank sign. It read '8:50'.  
  
"Ten to nine, why?" Shadow asked Tails.  
  
"The bank closes at nine. We have to hurry!" Tails spun his tails together and took off full speed toward the bank. Shadow followed him and they were there with five minutes to spare.  
  
Tails ran into the bank and quickly found a teller. A middle-aged man looked at Tails a bit surprised. "Yes? How may I help you?"  
  
"I need to get the contents out of vault five-oh-seven please."  
  
"Do you have your ID?" The man asked.  
  
Tails growled. Shadow became surprised at Tails' action.  
  
"Who else has two tails? My name is Miles Prower!"  
  
"Oh yes, Mr. Prower." the teller said. "I will get you that right away." The teller got up off of his seat and walked into the backroom. He came out a few minutes later and emerged with a package in his hands. He handed it to Tails.  
  
"Have a nice night." The teller waved.  
  
Shadow and Tails exited the bank and Tails ripped the package open. There was the orange Chaos Emerald. Tails took out the cell phone that Rouge gave him. She hit the speed dial and the phone rang for a few minutes.  
  
"Hello?" The voice on the other line asked.  
  
"Rouge, Its Tails. Look, we found three more Chaos Emeralds."  
  
"Oh where are you?"  
  
"City West." Tails said.  
  
"Okay. I gotta go. See you later." Rouge said hurriedly. It sounded like she was on a computer.  
  
"Okay." Tails said, "Bye Rouge." Tails hung up the phone and put it away.  
  
"We have four of them. Knuckles has the last one." Tails said. Shadow nodded.  
  
"But we can't go. I can't warp that far. but I can take us somewhere very nice if you'd like." Shadow said. Tails grabbed his hand.  
  
"Let's go. I trust you." Shadow concentrated again and the flash appeared. Tails opened his eyes to a truly marvelous sight. The whole city was lit up. Tails looked down and gasped. They were on a bridge.  
  
"Radical Highway." Shadow informed. Tails sat down with a sigh. Shadow looked over to Tails.  
  
"Tails? You okay?" Shadow asked concerned. He sat down next to Tails.  
  
"It's Sonic." Tails had tears welling up into his eyes. He looked at Shadow.  
  
"What about him?" Shadow asked, scooting closer to Tails. Tails leaned over.  
  
"I don't know if we'll EVER get him back alive." Tails looked over to Shadow again. "Shadow, do you-" Shadow cut him off.  
  
"Tails, I promised." He grabbed Tails' hand, "To help you find him." Shadow stroked Tails' cheek. "I'm going to keep that promise."  
  
"Shadow. I. uh." Shadow moved in closer and they both closed their eyes.  
  
"HEY!" Shouted a voice. Tails and Shadow's ears twitched and quickly separated. They looked toward the direction of the sound.  
  
Rouge hovered in front of them. "Look-what-I-found!" She said cockily. She held out the Purple Chaos Emerald. Tails and Shadow sweatdropped and Shadow sighed.  
  
Rouge flew in between the two boys and sat down. "And look at this." She held up a little disk, "The disk that contains the coordinates to Gigitanko Castle." She stated proudly. Tails and Shadow looked at each other. Then looked back at Rouge. She smiled warmly.  
  
"By the way, what were you doing before I arrived?"  
  
Shadow and Tails sweatdropped.  
  
**** Thanks to all the people that have been reading the story! And especially to Vincent Valentine and E-Chan who have been reading since-like- the beginning. I really appreciate that! I hope that it hasn't been too rushed. I haven't had too much time and I want the story flow to pick up. I think that it won't be much longer. I am thinking of a sequel, but it doesn't matter. This is only my first fanfiction here anyway. If you readers want it, I will write one. Let's just try to finish this first. OH! And E-chan is still latched on to my leg! I just can't shake her!! ^w^ ~ 3  
  
Love you readers, You are worse than my band geeks! (I play the flute and oboe.) Ha! Have a real love for fanfiction!  
  
Love ya lots! ^w^  
  
Taiora Yaganouchi  
  
P.S. Yes, Taichi Yagami + Sora Takenouchi = Taiora Yaganouchi. You caught me. I like Digimon. ^w^;  
  
P.P.S. Oh one more thing and I SWEAR I'm done. That part with Shadow and Tails almost kissing was something I had drawn out on paper like a comic. I may scan it in when I get my website up and running. Thankies!! 


	8. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8  
  
Sonic sat in the cell with Knuckles, awaiting the arrival of the hooded men again. Sonic had almost gotten used to it. Day after day, Sonic had been dragged out and questioned to the location of the remaining Chaos Emeralds. But it was already evening and no one had come to get Sonic yet.  
  
Knuckles, on the other hand, had been trying to tell Sonic something important. He couldn't get the words out, no matter how hard he tried. Knuckles usually spent his days alone and his nights with Sonic, huddled up for warmth.  
  
This evening was different though. Knuckles sat in the corner, quiet and unmoving. Sonic stopped waiting and sighed in relief.  
  
"They aren't coming for me today. Thank God!" Sonic said to Knuckles.  
  
"Yeah." said Knuckles.  
  
Sonic looked at him with concern. "Are you okay? You've seemed quiet lately."  
  
"Yeah, there is something on my mind, in fact." Knuckles arose. He walked over to Sonic and grabbed his shoulders.  
  
"Knuckles?" Sonic asked in bewilderment. This was curious behavior, even for Knuckles.  
  
"Sonic, I have been trying to tell you something, but every time I have been interrupted. It's been on my mind for some time now." he looked away from Sonic. "It's just, I feel if I tell you that our friendship will be ruined."  
  
"Hey," Sonic interrupted, "If you like Amy Rose, be my guest, you can have her."  
  
Knuckles sweat-dropped. "No! Not that idiot!" Knuckles regained his composure and continued, "Not that. There's someone else. Sonic."  
  
Sonic looked into Knuckles' eyes. "Ne, nothing can ruin out friendship. It isn't like other friendships. I've earned your trust. Whatever you throw at me will not-" Sonic was cut off by Knuckles' lips covering his own. Sonic flushed and froze in place. Knuckles separated from Sonic and looked into his eyes. Sonic kept staring straight ahead.  
  
"Sonic?" Knuckles said. "Sonic?! Hey! Come on! Say something. please?" Sonic backed slowly away with the same vacant look on his face. His emerald green eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Knuckles. wh- why did you hide this from me?" Sonic whispered. Knuckles had to strain to hear him. Why could this hedgehog be so loud all the time and then be so soft that he couldn't hear him.  
  
"Sonic. I-I'm so sorry. It's just."  
  
"Knuckles. you could have picked a more romantic spot for this." Sonic said. His face turned from vacant to warm.  
  
"Sonic?" Sonic was advancing towards Knuckles.  
  
"Knuckles, the truth is. that." Sonic backed Knuckles up against a wall and kissed him softly. He brought his hand up and touched one of Knuckles' spines and then dropped his hand back down to his side. ".I feel the same way."  
  
Knuckles stared in disbelief. Was this really happening? Knuckles looked into Sonic's eyes. They didn't show any signs of trying to tease him. They seemed rather sincere instead. Sonic wrapped his arms around Knuckles' waist and hugged him. He buried his head into his shoulder and nuzzled him for a moment. Then he stopped and pricked his ears. He ran away from Knuckles into the corner he was in earlier and sat down. Knuckles was about to chase after him when he heard the noise as well and sat down.  
  
Two guards walked up to the cell and opened it up. They threw something in and then locked the door. When they walked away, Sonic approached whatever it was and went to poke it. It was pretty dark now and he couldn't see what it was. It moved and grunted. Sonic backed away for a second and then poled it again.  
  
"Will ya stop that?" It said in a familiar high-pitched voice. It emerged from the dark blanket and stood up. Sonic jumped back and pointed.  
  
"Amy! Why are you here?!" Sonic began blushing. Knuckles sighed. They wouldn't be having any more moments for a while.  
  
"Sonic!" Amy glomped Sonic. Sonic stumbled and fell backwards. "Oh! Sonic! They are going to get Tails! They are trying to get him dead or alive!!"  
  
Sonic's eyes narrowed and he growled. Amy let go of him and ran over to Knuckles, who sat in the corner. Knuckles stared at Sonic in disbelief. Sonic stood up and put his head against the wall. Knuckles and Amy wondered what he was going to do next.  
  
"That BASTARD!!" Sonic yelled and punched the wall. He slumped to the floor and began to cry. Knuckles covered Amy's ears with her hands and told her to close her eyes. (A/N: Just a little note. Unless you've been under a rock, you would know that Japanese (anime and game) boys, like Sonic and Knuckles presumably are, think that crying is a weakness. To cry in front of a girl no less. they don't like to do it. So I suppose that in this little fit of rage on Sonic's part, Knuckles is looking out for him. ^w^) He walked over to Sonic and put his hand on his back.  
  
"Sonic, don't worry. the kid can take care of himself. right? You taught him every thing you know. So don't worry too much. He is probably looking for you anyway."  
  
Sonic sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I guess you are right. You usually are. but I can't help but worry about him though. He's like my kid brother."  
  
"I know." Knuckles turned to Amy. "Alright, he's cool now."  
  
Amy stood up and went to Sonic. "Sonic don't worry. I have the feeling that someone is looking over Tails. There's no need to worry." She smiled at him.  
  
"Thanks Amy."  
  
****  
  
Sorry for the shortness of that chapter. School isn't the excuse this time. This chapter is kind of a filler but it has it's own significance as a chapter. The story is really going to get deep from here but I won't spoil it for you. 


	9. Innocence In Black and Orange Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9  
  
Tails, Shadow and Rouge stood in front of Gigitanko Castle. It was humongous. The sky was dark and it began to rain. The wind howled from time to time and it was cold.  
  
"I guess we should start going." Tails said.  
  
"Yeah lets go in." They all walked into the courtyard. Tails looked around. The place was dark with torches spaced about every fifteen feet on the walls. There was a small path that they followed and stone everything. They walked further and came upon a gate.  
  
"Aww, now what?" Rouge asked. The gate was solid iron and locked.  
  
"I don't know Rouge. I guess that we need to find a new route." Shadow said.  
  
"Well, I can fly very high. I think we need a aerial view of this place!" Tails twirled his tails together and flew up to as high as he could.  
  
"What do you see up there?" Shadow yelled. Tails came back down.  
  
"There are several more gates up ahead. But if we take that corridor over there," Tails pointed to a dark alleyway, "We should be able to bypass the gates and head right into the main building."  
  
"Good. Lets go!" they ran down the alley. After a while, they made it to the end and reached a door.  
  
"Great, Tails, a door. Now what?" Rouge said crossly.  
  
"Don't get mad at him. It is only wood." Shadow said crouching down. He spun into a spin-dash and shot toward the door. It shattered into tiny pieces. Tails poked his head into the room that they broke down the door to.  
  
"It's clear." He said. They all stepped into the room. It was heavily furnished with red and purple tapestries on the wall and a roaring fire in the fireplace. There were rugs on the floor as well. They walked in through the room and spotted a staircase. Tails went over to it.  
  
"It leads down. I think that is where the dungeon would be, right?" Tails asked Rouge.  
  
"Yes. Lets hurry down." They ran down the staircase and looked around. There were rows upon rows of cells on either side of the group. They wandered down and looked in each cell, hoping to see Sonic.  
  
  
  
"Sonic, Sonic wake up." Amy said. Sonic lifted his head.  
  
"Ne, Amy?" Amy looked at him worriedly.  
  
"I hear someone coming!" Amy grabbed him and pulled him to his feet.  
  
  
  
"What was that voice?" Rouge asked Tails.  
  
"It sounded like Amy!" Tails said. "Are these bars breakable Shadow?"  
  
"Yes, as long as I use my fire ring." Shadow said crouching again. He spun into a ball. They were still pretty far away from where the voice came from. It was all the way at the end.  
  
  
  
"Amy. do you hear that? It kind of sounds like a buzz saw." Knuckles said.  
  
"Yeah, it does." Sonic said. His ears pricked up. "And it's getting closer! Everyone get to the back of the cell!!"  
  
They all ran to the back when the 'buzz saw' reached their cell. The bars burst into pieces. Sonic looked up and he saw a dark figure in front of him.  
  
"Come on. Let's get outta here, Sonic." Said the figure. Sonic looked closer.  
  
"Sha-Shadow?" Sonic got up and got closer.  
  
"Yeah, we gotta go!" Shadow said.  
  
"SON-NIC!!" Sonic looked toward the voice. It was Tails.  
  
"LITTLE BUDDY!!" Sonic ran over and picked Tails up. Tails began to sob uncontrollably and Sonic pet his head.  
  
"Tails, don't get all wet works on me now." Sonic said, tears streaming down his cheeks.  
  
"Sonic. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I missed you!" Tails said.  
  
"I know, little bro, I know." He put Tails down. They both wiped their eyes and turned around. Amy was clamped onto Rouge, crying like a baby, and Rouge was attempting to push her off with a disgruntled look on her face.  
  
"Oh, grow up Amy."  
  
"WAHHHH! It is so touching!!" Amy cried.  
  
"Shadow, I didn't know." Sonic said.  
  
Shadow held his hand up. "Skip it, we'll catch up later. but now we aren't done here. Tails, do you still have the other chaos emeralds?"  
  
Tails took the five emeralds out of his pockets. "They have two." Sonic counted on his fingers.  
  
"HEY." Sonic pouted.  
  
"I lied. I can't let you have all the fun." Tails smirked.  
  
Sonic smiled. "Can't get anything past you, huh?"  
  
"No, but I can get everything past you."  
  
****  
  
Kilashandra walked up the hall way to a door with an old fashioned handle. She knocked three times.  
  
"Enter." Said a voice.  
  
She opened the door and stepped inside. It was a room with many monitors from the castle's security system. A lone figure sat in front of them. She closed the door behind her.  
  
"Lexxon, darling. I haven't seen you all day." She cooed. He turned around in his chair away from the glowing monitors. He smiled and held out his arms. Kilashandra sat in his lap and hugged him. She parted from him and looked at him before kissing him passionately. He gently pushed her away.  
  
"Sorry, could we continue this later? The master wants me to keep track of- hello, what's this." He glanced at the monitor and saw Sonic, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Rouge, Shadow and Tails walking down the hallway leading to the ballroom. Lexxon and Kilashandra got up and ran to the door, on their way to the room to cut them off.  
  
"Kilashandra, warn the master. I will get the chaos emeralds."  
  
Kilashandra ran in the other direction and Lexxon ran to the room.  
  
****  
  
Sonic opened the door to the ballroom. He stepped inside and Shadow, Tails, Amy Rose, Rouge, and Knuckles followed him. They looked around. It was fairly big with many bright tapestries on the wall. There was a large balcony toward the back and torches lit the area dimly. A large elegant chandelier hung from the ceiling, lit by candles. It brightened the room a bit. There was another large fancy door on the other side of the room outlined in gold, as was the door they entered.  
  
Amy Rose ran out in the middle of the dance floor. "Wow! After we beat the bad guys we should hold a dance here, Sonic!"  
  
Sonic sighed. "Whatever."  
  
Tails was the one closest to the door and he heard someone coming. "Sonic! There is someone heading this way and fast!" Tails ran towards Sonic and stood by him. The door was pushed open and there stood Lexxon.  
  
"You! What is it now?" Sonic said.  
  
"I've come for the chaos emeralds." Lexxon said. He looked at the group. He spotted Shadow and tensed, growing in anger. "But first, you and I shall finish what we started at the forest!" Lexxon charged at Shadow. Sonic and the others ran out of the way and just before Lexxon hit Shadow, he jumped out of harm's way. Lexxon skidded to a stop. Shadow stood behind him and teased him.  
  
"Wow, aren't you slow." Shadow smirked. Lexxon tackled him and put him into an arm lock. Shadow grabbed Lexxon's arm and gasped for air. Sonic looked to Tails.  
  
"Tails, give me one of the Chaos Emeralds!!" Tails gave him one. "Shadow!" Shadow looked in the direction of Sonic's voice and Sonic tossed the Chaos Emerald at him. Shadow caught it and it began to glow.  
  
Please, PLEASE let me be able to do this! Shadow thought. He concentrated and the Emerald shined a bright red. The whole ballroom lit up and then went pitch black. Lexxon noticed that he wasn't holding Shadow anymore. He looked around. The full moon shone through the window, lighting the area to a pale blue. He could hardly see, even his night vision wasn't working well. Sonic and the others stood still.  
  
"Where are you, coward?" Lexxon shouted.  
  
"Coward? I think not," Shadow said. The Chaos Emerald glowed and lit up Shadow's face. He smiled a half smile. He was up on one of the columns in the ballroom. He jumped gracefully down and threw the emerald to Tails. He stood in the pale moonlight and looked directly at Lexxon.  
  
Suddenly, the room lit up and the door on the other side of the room was pushed open. There stood Kilashandra and the Master. The master had the green chaos emerald floating on one side of him and the blue one to the other side. His eyes glowed green and he held out his hands. Tails' eyes went blank. Sonic looked to Tails.  
  
"Tails?" Sonic waved his hand in front of his face. "Hey, little buddy?"  
  
Tails began to walk towards the master with the Chaos Emeralds.  
  
"Tails!" Sonic went to tackle Tails to stop him, but instead he hit a force field. Tails let go of the chaos emeralds and they levitated for a moment before they shot towards the Master.  
  
They glowed around him as he himself levitated into the air. Tails slumped to the ground.  
  
"Mwahahaha! I, Seriano, now have the ultimate power to take over the world!" The master yelled. Kilashandra stood with her mouth agape.  
  
"No! No you said-" she said in horror.  
  
"You were foolish, Kilashandra! How could you believe that bunch of lies!? You were so easy to fool! But now you are of no use to me!" Kilashandra backed away from Seriano slowly. He shot out his hand and it began to glow red and black. A fireball formed in it and he prepared to shoot. He let the fireball fly towards Kilashandra and she screamed and covered her face. She saw something block the fireball. It was Lexxon.  
  
"NO!" Kilashandra cried. She began to cry. "Lexxon!"  
  
Everyone's faces were plastered with horror. Lexxon slumped to the ground and Kilashandra sunk down next to him. She cradled his head in her lap. He opened his dark green eyes and looked at Kilashandra.  
  
"Kilashandra." he said. His voice was labored and unsteady.  
  
"Song." Kilashandra said.  
  
'Song?' Shadow thought. 'He's the old woman's son?'  
  
"Kilashandra. get. out. of this. place."  
  
Sha cradled his cheek. "No."  
  
"I'm. dying. Kila." he took a deep breath. "I. love you. Kilashandra." he said as his eyes shut and he went limp in her arms. He stopped breathing. Her eyes widened.  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!! This can't be so! Song!!!!" She cried.  
  
"Pathetic. that is just pathetic. Love, honor, and friendship. they're all useless. The one who holds the power, holds the world in his hands. I don't need anyone!" Seriano growled. The castle began to glow red and the top shattered to bits. The ballroom was now exposed to the air and the sky clouded over again. The rain came down and thunder cracked. Tails screeched as the sky lit up. Amy shook all over. Kilashandra pulled Song to the wall and sat with him there. Sonic and Shadow stood with Knuckles ready for battle. Lightning cracked nearby and set the forest on fire. Everything was covered in the red-orange color of the flames.  
  
"Now to get rid of the lot of you. You prove to be pests, that is certain." Seriano said. He laughed with evil as he morphed into a dragon. He roared and shot fire from his mouth. The Chaos Emeralds fell from the sky, absorbed of their power. They turned black like onyx but didn't glimmer. Tails ran toward them and twisted his tails together to gain speed. He picked them up and flew to Knuckles.  
  
"Knuckles, can you summon the Master Emerald?"  
  
"Yeah, but why do you want me to-"  
  
"Just do it! Please hurry!" Knuckles closed his eyes and spread his hands apart. There was a faint glow and glimmer between his hands. The Master Emerald appeared before him. Tails set the emeralds around it. The Master Emerald glowed and suddenly a pink-orange light emerged from it. The light grew bigger and dimmed. There stood a little orange echidna. She blinked her eyes.  
  
"Tikal?" Tails asked. She held her hands open as well and closed her eyes again.  
  
"The seven chaos are the servers,  
  
Chaos is power,  
  
Power is enriched by the heart,  
  
The controller serves to unify the chaos,  
  
Hear us now! Change our prayers into reality!" They chanted in unison. The chaos emeralds began to glow their true colors and levitated into the air. They circled around the Master Emerald for a moment and then shot over to Sonic and Shadow. They were engulfed in the light of the Chaos Emeralds.  
  
Tails and the rest of the group looked toward the light and saw two shadows in it. The light faded and there stood Super Sonic and Hyper Shadow. Tails, Knuckles, Tikal, Amy Rose, Rouge and Kilashandra looked in awe at them.  
  
"This stops here, Seriano!" Shadow yelled.  
  
"I'll teach you to mess with me and my friends!" Sonic yelled.  
  
Shadow and Sonic charged toward the dragon, Seriano. They both spun into a ball and rotated around each other, like an atom. They struck Seriano in the heart and went clear through him to the other side of him. He roared in pain and began to fall. Shadow and Sonic ran out of rings and fell as well. They landed on the floor next to Seriano, covered in his blood, changed back to normal. The rain fell and put out the fire.  
  
****  
  
Hey Guys! The next chapter is the last one. I cried while I wrote this! WAHHHH! Oh well, I hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. All those late nights staying up 'til 9:30 to 10 o'clock paid off. Enjoy the last chapter and be kind R/R!! 


	10. Innocence In Black and Orange Final Chap...

CHAPTER 10  
  
Shadow opened his eyes. He was in a bed in a white room. He was hooked up to a respirator and an IV. He looked beside him to see Sonic in the same state, Knuckles, Tikal, Tails and Amy Rose standing worriedly over him. He looked straight ahead of him and noticed that Lexxon and Kilashandra were here also. Lexxon laid in a bed and Kilashandra looked down at him smiling with relief. Lexxon looked back at her, smiling weakly. She walked over to the curtain and drew it around them.  
  
"Look! Rouge! He's awake!" Amy Rose shouted and pointed at Shadow. She walked over to him as he tried to get up. He removed the respirator from his face and sat up as best as he could.  
  
"Yeah well, honey, you had better get a look at your boyfriend here because he is up, too." Rouge said.  
  
"Wow!" She twirled around happily and looked at both the boys. She jumped up and down excitedly and giggled. "Yippee!"  
  
"Amy. calm down." Sonic said weakly, removing the respirator as well.  
  
"Yeah. It's not like we were dead." Shadow said coldly.  
  
"Burr." Amy faked a shiver. Shadow sighed and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, you both were out for quite awhile. Almost a week now!" Rouge said.  
  
"What about Lexxon?" Shadow said. His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. The old man and the old woman stood there. Shadow looked at Tails.  
  
"Their son was alive, I had to tell them." He said blushing.  
  
They walked to the drawn curtain with tears in their eyes.  
  
"I helped to restore him with Knuckles." Tikal said.  
  
"Tikal, how did you get here anyway?" Sonic asked.  
  
"When Chaos and I disappeared, we went back into the Master Emerald but, I think that I am all done. I have decided to stay out. Chaos is at the Chao garden, watching over the children." Tikal smiled warmly, "I have too much to live for to be stuck inside some jewel forever!"  
  
"Hey," Knuckles said, "That 'some jewel' is the Master Emerald. Treat it with respect." Sonic laughed.  
  
"You are like in love with that thing, aren't you?" Knuckles blushed in embarrassment.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Any way, I'm glad you are both okay." Tails said.  
  
"What about Seriano?" Sonic asked.  
  
"It's funny, when you two passed out, he disappeared." Amy Rose explained.  
  
"Hmm," Shadow mumbled.  
  
"And the Chaos Emeralds?" Sonic asked.  
  
"They are back at Angel Island with the Master Emerald." Knuckles explained.  
  
"Well, I want to get out of this bed!" Sonic said. "I'm alright now! So lets go now!"  
  
"Hold on there, Sonic." Knuckles said. He got up and went out the door. He returned a few minutes later with the doctor.  
  
"Can we leave, doc?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Well, aren't we eager to leave?" the doctor asked. Shadow looked at him.  
  
"Duh. Of course!" Shadow said.  
  
"Well, I think that you can. As far as I know, you are not injured at all. As long as you stop running for a couple of days, Mr. Hedgehog, I think you will be fine." He said. Sonic looked like the world was coming to an end. He screeched.  
  
"NO WAY!!"  
  
Amy Rose nudged Sonic. "Oh Sonic, it is only a couple of days!"  
  
Sonic hung his head and everyone laughed.  
  
****  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
Shadow stood on the edge of the lake in the Mystic Ruins. He looked at the green grass and the waterfall. He was in deep thought as he stood there. He felt a warm hand slip into his own and someone's head rest on his shoulder. He looked beside him to see Tails. Tails looked at him.  
  
"Shadow, lets go for a walk. I want to talk to you." Shadow nodded and followed Tails to the steps leading to his house and workshop. They walked down the hidden runway to the end and sat down. The sun was just setting and turned the sky a rainbow of yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, purples and the twilight blue with stars beginning to show. The moon was just rising as well in its quartered state. Tails looked to Shadow.  
  
"Shadow, Thanks a bunch for helping me out these past couple of weeks. Really, I couldn't have done it without you." Shadow blushed.  
  
"Oh well, I." Shadow paused. "Tails, I came to realize something."  
  
"Mmm? What is it?" Tails asked.  
  
"Tails, These few weeks." Shadow paused again. "Sorry it's hard to say this sort of thing."  
  
Tails blushed. "Shadow whatever it is, you can tell me." Shadow looked at Tails blushing heavily.  
  
"What I mean to say is that. umm, I. I." He paused again and looked at Tails. "I love you, Tails. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."  
  
Tears came into Tails' eyes and Shadow hugged him. "Hey Tails. Are you-"  
  
"Oh Shadow! I-I love you, too." Shadow blushed even more. Tails looked at him. Shadow pulled him close and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
Tails gently pushed him away after a moment. "Shadow, will you stay with me a little longer?"  
  
"I will be here as long as you need me, Tails."  
  
And thus, with the sky turning dark purple and the stars and moon shining brightly, Tails and Shadow sat together; Innocence colored in Black and Orange.  
  
FIN  
  
****  
  
Hi there, ppls! ^w^ I hope that you liked the end. I hope that some people will like the Tails and Shadow coupling after reading this! I appreciate all of your kind reviews and helpful advice. This didn't turn out so bad for my first Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic. Look for some more fanfics coming from me real soon!!  
  
I love you people! Thanks for being so nice!  
  
3 ~ Taiora Yaganouchi ^w^ ~ 3 {Happy Tokomon smile for you all!} 


	11. A SEQUEL!

Heya Folks!!  
  
I don't know who remembers this story but I just want you to know that I have been planning a sequel. But I won't post it unless you people want it. Sooooo. tell me if you want one or not and I'll put it into consideration. If I get no replies, I will post first chapter to the sequel. Then you can tell me there. Thanks  
  
Taiora Yaganouchi ^w^ 


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